Multiple electric arc furnace



Mamh 25, 194-1. w J- BRYAN JR 2,235,329

MULTIPLE ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE Filed Aug. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l Attorney Much 25, 194 1.

W. J. BRYAN, JR

MULTIPLE ELECTRIC ARC FURNACE Filed Aug. 5, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 A iiorney Patented Mar. 25, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful improvements in electric arc furnaces adapted for melting steel, iron and other metal, and has for its primary object to provide a pair of duplicate furnace structures, each having individual electric heating and operating means for tilting the furnace for discharging the molten metal, and the principal object of the present invention is to provide a pair of furnaces of this character closely positioned relative to each other so that the side walls of each of the furnaces are in close proximity and providing registering doors in the adjacent walls of the furnaces so that the heat generated in one furnace may also be subjected to the adjacent furnace for preheating the metal therein while the same is being loaded.

Other objects and advantages reside in the details of construction as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which- Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a pair of furnaces constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a top plan view with parts shown in section, and

Figure 3 is an interior elevational view of one of the communicating openings in the Wall of the furnace.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, wherein for the purpose of illustration I have disclosed a preferred embodiment of the invention, the numerals 5 and 6 designate a pair of electric arc furnaces of conventional construction which are mounted for tilting movement upon the supports 1 and 8, respectively, each of the furnaces being provided with the plurality of electrodes 9 which project downwardly through the top of the furnace and also provided with the operating mechanism H] for raising and lowering the electrodes into and out of position in order to permit discharging the molten metal from the discharge spout 4 at the rear of the furnace. The furnace construction, including the operating mechanism Iii, provided for each of the furnaces is of conventional construction and accordingly a detailed explanation thereof is not deemed necessary.

Each furnace is provided with a charging opening H controlled by a sliding door or gate [2 mounted in channeled guides I3 and adapted to be raised upwardly by the chains or other flex- 65 ible members M.

The furnaces 5 and 6 are placed in close proximity to each other as shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings and preferably spaced apart only sufiiciently to permit the necessary expansion and contraction of the material of the furnaces dur- 5 ing the heating and cooling thereof.

At the sides of the furnaces nearest each other are openings l5 and [6, each of the openings being of identical construction, and accordingly a detailed description of one will sufi'ice for both, 10 the openings being in registry when the respective furnaces are in their upright positions. Each of the openings l5 and [6 are usually constructed to include a steel frame I! lined with fire brick l8 facing the interior of the furnace. The frame 15 I! is also constructed with the outwardly projecting guides l9 within which the doors 20 are slidably positioned for closing the respective registering openings, when desired. The edges of the door and the guides are provided with registering openings 2| adapted to removably receive pins 22 to secure the doors in position.

In the operation of electric arc furnaces of this character, heat is generated through the electrodes 9 up to approximately four thousand de- 2 grees Fahrenheit and accordingly, considerable heat is radiated from the furnace while the same is active. Accordingly, While one furnace is active, the door in the side of the adjacent furnace may be opened while said last named furnace is 30 being charged with the scrap steel and other metal, and accordingly the metal in the second furnace will be substantially heated and partially melted by the time the active furnace is ready to be tapped and the molten metal discharged 35 therefrom.

It .is believed the details of construction, advantages and manner of use of the device will be readily understood from the foregoing without further detailed explanation. 40

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is 1. An electric arc furnace assembly comprising a pair of duplicate furnace members having charging doors and discharging openings, each 45 furnace also including electrodes for heating the respective furnaces and apparatus for tilting the same for discharging the contents from the discharge opening thereof, said furnaces being positioned in close proximity with each other and auxiliary doors in the adjacent sides of the furnaces in registering position when the furnaces are disposed in a predetermined position.

2. An electric arc furnace assembly comprising a pair of duplicate furnace members having bodying structural means in opposed portions of the walls thereof adapted for exposing the contents of one furnace to the heat generated in the other furnace, while the furnaces remain disconnected from each other.

WILLIAM J. BRYAN, JR. 

